Threading eye for shuttles



Oct. 13, 1 936. WOQDRUFF 1 2,057,127

THREADING EYE SHUTTL'ES Filed March so, 193:5

Patented Oct. 13, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE THREADING EYE FORSHUTTLES Application March 30, 1933, Serial No. 663,533

5 Claims.

This invention relates to the threading eye for a shuttle such as iscustomarily used in an automatic loom. The invention relates moreparticularly to an improved and simplified device for 5 tensioning thethread as it passes through the shuttle eye. It is an object of theinvention to provide a device which is simple, durable, and effective inapplying a light frictional tension on the thread'passing through theshuttle eye. A- 10 cording to the invention, a shuttle eye having alongitudinal channel for thread, with a guide post at the .side of thechannel near the forward end, is provided with a tensioning element oflight weight material loosely mounted in a transverse .15 slot in theshuttle eye so that it presents a side edge for engagement with theguiding post, the

arrangement of the parts being .such that the thread passing through thechannel is required to pass between the post and the tensioning ele- 20ment. A light leaf spring is mounted on theside 30 ities in thetensioning effect of the element which might arise from frictionalengagement of its bottom edge on asupporting surface. According totheinvention, the tensioning element may consistof a slab of light weightmaterial such as '35 a phenolic condensation product, with or without asuitable filler such as powdered cellulose, or socalled vulcanizedfiber, or any one of a number of equivalent materials which aresufficiently durable to withstand excessive wear from the 40 threadpassing between its edge and the guiding post, and which is also of lowspecific gravity so that it has little mechanical inertia as compared,

for example, with a metal slab of equal dimen- I sions. The use of lightweight material renders 45 the use of a small leaf spring feasible andalso avoids wear'and tear on the eye member itself when the shuttle isviolently accelerated and decelerated in the course of its ordinary usein the loom.

- 50 Fora more complete understanding of the invention reference may bemade to the description thereof which follows and to the-illustrationofan embodiment thereof on the drawing of which,

Figure 1 is a perspective fragmentary view of the forward end ofashuttle in which is mounted a self-threading eye with a tensioningdevice embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the threading eye.

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Figure 2. Figure 5 is aperspective view of the movable tensioning element used in the deviceshown in,

Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary plan view of a shuttle having a threading eyeand a separate tensioning device. 7

Tensioning elements embodying the invention may be employed with, or. asa part of, any shuttle eye. Figures 1 and 2 illustrate a self-threadingeye in which the tensioning device is built into the eye. The eye isshown in Figure 1 in position in an ordinary shuttle 10 adapted for usein an automatic loom. This shuttle, as usual, includes a centrallongitudinal opening extending therethrough for the reception of thebobbin on which the'thread or yarn is wound. The thread is led forwardlythrough a threading eye l5 which is countersunk in the forward endportion of the shuttle. The thread which passes through the eye l5leaves the shuttle through an opening in the side thereofrbelow alateral slot l6 and communicating therewith. The threading eye isillustrated in Figures 2, 3, and 4 and may be a casting of a suitablemetal such as bronze, formed with a number of guiding elements l1, l8,H! to assist in threading the eye, and projecting lugs 2| and 22 toanchor the eye firmly in the shuttle against longitudinal looseness whenthe shuttle is thrown back and forth in the shed. The eye islongitudinally bored from end to end to furnish a channel for thethread. While one such bore may be sufiicient, an upper bore 23 and alower bore 24 have been illustrated, these bores being connectedlaterally as by a slot 25. The upper bore 23 is open as at 26 upwardlythrough its entire length so as to admit thread from above when the eyeis being threaded. At one side of the lower bore 24, near the forwardend thereof is mounted a guide post 30 which may be of vitreous materialsuch as glass or porcelain, or may be of 'metal or any other suitabledurable material. This post is permanently set in the eye. 0 member sothat the thread which passes through the channel 24 passes around thepost 30 and then proceeds to a suitable opening (not shown) in the sideof the shuttle below the slot It. In order to provide suitable tensionfor the thread 40 which also contains the guidepost '30, so that passingthrough the eye, a tensioning element 35 is loosely mounted in atransverse slot 34 in the body member 20 of the eye, this tensioningelement being so arranged as to present a side edge 36 to the guide post30 for contact therewith so that the thread passing through the channel24 must pass between the post 30 and the edge 36 of the element 35. Alight pressure for this element may be provided by a leaf spring 40which, as shown, may be secured at one end to the eye member 20 as by ascrew 4|. The leaf spring is generally longitudinal direction. Theforward portion of the groove is made deep enough to receive the forwardportion of the spring well within the plane of the side face of the eyecasting, the rearward end of the groove being preferably shallow toavoid unnecessary weakening of the casting. The free end 43 of thespring 40 is adapted to bear against the side edge 44 of the element 35so as to press this element lightly against the post 30. This side edge44 is preferably notched as at 45 to receive the spring 40 so that thespring thus provides vertical support for the element 35 as well aspresent the element against the post 30. This leaves the bottom edge ofthe element 35 free of contact with any portion of the eye or shuttlesothat there is no frictional drag thereon'to disturb the functioning ofthe element 35, the pressure of this element against the 'post 30 thusbeing entirely controlled by the spring 40. The element 35, as shown inFigure 5, may consist of a small slab of suitable material adaptedtomove transversely with respect to the there is a line contact betweenthe edge 36 of fthe slab and theladjacent side of the post 30.

The tensioning member 35 is preferably made of a light weight materialwhich is sufficiently dus rable to withstand excessive wear from thethread passing by its edge 36. This material may be a phenoliccondensation product, so-called vulcanized fiber, specially preparedfiberboard, or any other equivalent material having'these desiredcharacteristics. For usewith some kinds of yarns it may be desirable toemploy harder materials such as glass, porcelain or the like, but a lowspecific gravity is an' important and highly desirable characteristicowing to the tendency on the part of the tensioning element toimpinge onthe walls of the slot in which it is mounted, when the shuttleis'suddenly started and stopped in the ordinary operation of a loom. Thesudden starting and stopping tends to result in a sort of hammeringaction by the element on thewalls of its slot, tending to widen the,slot and permit increasing looseness of the element therein. If thedensity, and hence the mechanical inertia, of the element is small, itwill yield more quickly and easily to slubs or bunches in the yarn thanwill a heavier element, so that the deviceis com- 'paratively sensitiveand maintains a uniform tension, thus'reducing thread breakage to a veryconsiderable degree. The shuttle eye is transversely bored as at 50 toreceivea bolt by which it is secured in the bobbin, and may also besupplied witha felt pad at the rear. end of the channel 24 to wipe thethread entering the eye.,

Instead of building the tensioning device in as a part of the threadingeye, I may mount the device and the eye in a shuttleas separate butported by a spring 40, as hereinbefore described. preferably located ina groove 42 in the side of the eye member 20, this groove running ina-An embodiment of the invention having thus been described, it should beevident that various modifications and changes may be made thereinwithout departing'from the spirit or scope thereof as defined by thefollowing claims.

in said slot and having a substantially straight side edge adapted tobear against said post, said element having a notch in its opposite sideedge, and a' leaf spring mounted on the side of said housing andengaging in said notch to support. said element and to press ityieldingly against said post. I

2. A threading eye for a shuttle comprising a member having alongitudinal thread channel therethrough, a transverse slot extendingfrom. one side of said member to the forward portion ofsaid channel, anda lateral groove in the same side of said member intersecting'said slot,a guide post mounted in said member in the plane of and across thethread channel from said slot, at

friction element of durable, light-weight material 340 loosely fittedwithin said slot, said element having a side edge presented forengagement with located in said groove and secured at one end to saidmember, the free end portion of said spring engaging in said notch tosupport the element with its bottom clear and to press the elementagainst the post. 3. In a shuttle eye having a thread channel and aguide post fixed at one side of said channel, means cooperating withsaid post to tension the thread passing through the eye, said meanscomprising a slab of durable, light-weight ma-.., terial having a sideedge adapted for engage ment with said post, said slab having a notch inits opposite side edge, and a leaf spring engaging said slab in itsnotch to support the slab and to press it against said post.

4. In a shuttle having a bobbin-receiving space and a threadpassageleading forward from said space and turning to open out at a side of theshuttle, a guide post mounted at the turn of said passage, a slab oflight weight material in a plane; containing said post and transverse tothe long axis of the shuttle, said slab being movable in its planetoward and from said post, and a leaf spring supporting said slab withits bottom edge free and pressing a side edge thereof against said'70 ofintersecting said passage, a guide post at one side or said passageopposite said slot, a slab of light weight, durable material looselymounted in said slot and arranged to present a side edge thereof forcontact with said post, and a leaf spring extending lengthwise of theblock along the side of the block remote from said post, said springbeing secured at its rear end to said block and arranged with itsforward end portion extending across said slot for engagement with anedge or said slab to press said slab yieldingly against said post.

SAMUEL WOODRUFB'.

